Quotes & Thoughts

I’ve been training with a friend for the upcoming Toronto Waterfront half marathon in October and I’m super pumped! I wasn’t always a runner…In fact, in the past I could barely even run for a minute without losing my breath. I would shy away from running as a kid and it was just not really ‘my thing.’ I was a dancer, and that had always been my forte. But since I began running in chiropractic school, I realized the great ‘runner’s high’ that people experience and how graceful and agile our bodies really are. I started running on a treadmill, alternating walking for ten minutes and then running for one minute. Slowly, bit by bit I built up my running capability and registered for my first outdoor 5K race~ the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for Breast cancer in Chicago. I was so ecstatic when I crossed the finish line of my first race! Wow, what a feeling! Since completing school and moving back to Canada, I have been participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure in Toronto every year. This summer I decided to train with the Running Room to actually complete a half marathon, and it has been an intense but rewarding experience. I have seen the progress week after week as distances increase. The feeling that comes from a run is just simply awesome! It is an incredible state of euphoria to fly through the air with just our limbs and mental stamina. We are free to run without abandon. Nothing can hold us back and anything seems possible as we soar through the sky. So from being someone who never really liked the warm-up run before tennis lessons, I’ve become a regular runner. Go figure, but my body craves the natural endorphin rush! Running through the streets of downtown Toronto is challenging but so worth it once I hit harbourfront and the lovely lakeshore trails. It is inspiring to see so many dedicated runners along the path with the balmy summertime breeze grazing my skin. Running is definitely one of my favourite workouts that creates so many zen moments and sets me free to believe I can do anything. There are new possibilities every moment everyday. I challenge you to take a stroll and turn it into a liberating run, sending your mind and body into exhilarating peace and calm. Hope to see you running alongside me on October 14, ’12 or cheering loudly with encouraging smiles. Dr. Anita...

The sun is here to stay and we are enveloped in the heart of summer. As we welcome this glorious season full of activity, I just wanted to share how connected we can be to nature; if we let ourselves be free of electronic gadgets for a few moments in time. Working in holistic health and wellness, it is always amazing for me to see how tech savvy and innovative the world can be. However, we all know how much stress and anxiety technology can introduce into our daily lives. It leads us to being so wired up and though we may feel like we are making social connections, really where is the natural human connection in a virtual transaction? On top of it, what is all this technological ‘advancement’ doing to our bodies? Toronto writer Sheena Lyonnais tells us that health concerns such as text neck, touchscreen finger, tablet slouch, insomnia and stress are just a handful that have been popping up! More than ever we are disconnected to what is going on within ourselves. We are constantly being bombarded by external stimuli such as email inboxes, websites, text messages, facebook updates, phone calls, twitter posts, and the list goes on… All of these stressors strain our bodies little by little, eventually leading to one condition or another. It’s hard to unplug (or be free from WiFi), but just try it! Instead of the beat of your Ipod, let your ears hear the sounds of nature like back when you were a kid. Time out and lay on the beach or in the grass, listening to the gentle breeze and watching the sun radiate through a perfectly blue summer sky. Click here for 8 ideas for enjoying the outdoors in the city. If you would like some assistance getting back to nurturing your body, come check-in to Source Centre and then go ahead and check out of the daily tech grind. Allow your body to re-center and reconnect. It’s time to be your authentic self with or without your tech toys. Happy Summer! [Image from...

Springtime brings renewal and a sense of joy to the spirit. Fresh green blades of grass and early morning dew drops are making their appearance. The sun is radiating warmth through its glorious rays and giving people a spring in their step. It’s time for new beginnings and a fresh start. It’s a great idea to revisit those resolutions that were set a few months ago. In just a short amount of time, what progress have you made to living a healthier, more productive life? Are you happy with the direction that things are going so far in 2012? Take a nice long deep breath and reflect on the blessings of your life. With more daylight hours, immerse yourself in the springtime air, be active and enjoy every moment! [Image by: Sujin...

[Image by Arvin Peter] During the wintery season, we find good reason to celebrate love and to warm our hearts. We can truly appreciate the grace of loved ones and all that we are so blessed to have in our lives. Maybe it’s because of the cold and our bodies simply need some nurturing, but it gives us time to devote to showing our love and affection. So celebrate this month of love with your family and friends, enjoying their company and sharing your true self. Sending all of you love and good energy from Source Centre so that your heart may bloom in bliss....

(Image: siraphat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net) As the seasons change and we look back to reminisce over the year, we realize how quickly time can pass by and leave us wondering how we spent our days and what we accomplished. This is precisely why it is so important to have intentions to help us keep on track of our life goals. When you live with intention, daily happenings take on special meaning. Thinking positive thoughts and living in the present moment allow clear focus and create awareness within yourself. You can truly savor the moment. Becoming conscious about your thoughts will shift your thinking and create understanding in your heart. Always remember to enjoy the moment, as all these moments add up to the happiness in your life. When you act with good intentions, you are building good karma. There’s a radiant glow in your being and any dream is possible! It is so important to realize that your thoughts and words CAN change the way you feel and how you lead your life. When you focus your mind with a specific intent, you can achieve so much more. People notice your clarity and are so attracted to being around your positive aura and energy. So I challenge you to set your intention today and give it your full attention. Write it down and return to it throughout the day and see what happens. It will only take a minute to set your intention. Staying aware of it will take a little more effort! For example: My intention today is to enjoy the beauty surrounding me… I will do this by taking a walk in the park, gazing out of the window at work, watching the leaves fall from the trees, allowing the sun’s rays or rain drops to kiss my skin while outside. Go ahead, try it! MY INTENTION TODAY IS…………… Notice if you feel a change in your awareness and thoughts. The more conscious we are in our interactions, starting with our thoughts, the more we can make change in our lives, however big or small. Being mindful and attentive is the best way to live your life’s full intent. By Dr. Anita Rajan What are people saying about intention and mindfulness? http://www.intent.com/...

I love books. I always have. Books have always been a sort of lifeline for me. As a child, they allowed me an escape into different worlds and experiences; at times, they articulated how I felt but couldn’t express; and they taught me much about people and the world around me. Over the years, my relationship with books has ebbed and flowed but has remained strong. Now, books are less an escape and more a solace, and a source of wisdom and inspiration. They are a bridge that connects me to people and stories from centuries past and far off places. They are both treasure and comfort. And, in my mind, a lasting investment whatever the circumstance! No matter how broke I’ve been over the years, I would treat myself to a treasure hunt at the local Goodwill and strike gold for a dollar or two. I’m also that person who loves stumbling upon a box at the end of a front lawn where some thoughtful resident has left books for a bibliophile like myself to rustle through. As a result, I have grown a massive library and a guarantee of wisdom and inspiration for years to come. I garner a sense of peace from this in the same way that my parents feel about their stacks of flour and canned goods! Do you love books too? Then I invite you to join us for our inaugural Source Centre Book Club gathering on Tuesday November 29th at 6:30pm. We will be discussing Elizabeth Lesser’s marvelous book Broken Open: How difficult times can help us grow. Writing in short, episodic chapters opening with inspiring and thoughtful quotes to ponder, Lesser takes personal stories, both her own and others, and guides us through the dark, difficult parts of life. While pain in our lives is inevitable and inescapable, do we have to suffer? And if not, how do we eliminate the suffering? Can we take the difficult, most painful experiences to rise up renewed and healed? And grateful for those painful times? I look forward to a lively, thoughtful discussion with good company and some light refreshments. All are welcome but please call 416-923-4325 or email us to register as space is limited P.S. Don’t think you can finish the book in time? Give it a try ~ it’s a great read you’ll not want to put down! Find out more about Broken Open. What are people saying about Broken...